Revisiting colon cancer myths

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I’d republish a posting from last year that helps dispel a few myths about this disease:

1- Colon cancer is primarily a disease of men. This is false. Colon cancer affects men and women equally, both in terms of diagnosis and death. Everyone must be aware of the risks of colon cancer.

2- Colon cancer will show signs or symptoms, so I don’t need to be screened. This is false. Most cases of colon cancer will not show any symptoms at all. And by the time colon cancer becomes symptomatic (change in stool, weight loss, pain, bleeding), the cancer is at an advanced stage. To avoid advanced colon cancer, you must undergo screening prior to the development of symptoms.

3- Colon cancer is a disease of the elderly, so I don’t need to be screened. This is false. Everyone needs screening beginning at age 50. Those people with additional risk factors (family history, obesity, smoking, inflammatory bowel disease) need to begin screening at age 40.

4- Colonoscopy is the only way to screen for colon cancer. This is false. While colonoscopy is the best screening test, there are others. These are testing the stool for blood (fecal occult blood test), barium enema and flexible sigmoidoscopy.

5- Colonoscopy is difficult to prepare for. This is false. There are a variety of preparations available to help empty the colon prior to colonoscopy. Some of these are liquids, and there are newer products that come in a pill form.

6- Colonoscopy is painful and uncomfortable. This is false. In most cases, the preparation is the “worst” part of it all. This is because during the colonoscopy procedure you are sedated and usually don’t feel or remember anything. And the procedure itself only takes 15-30 minutes.

7- Colonoscopy is a screening procedure only and I’ll still require surgery if they find anything. This is false. The colonoscope is also a surgical instrument. If the doctor finds a polyp or even a small cancer, it can be removed immediately, avoiding the need for further surgery.

8- Polyps = cancer. This is false. Polyps are usually benign. They may, however, have the potential to become cancerous. This is why they need to be removed via colonoscopy.

9- Colon cancer is always fatal. This is false. Actually, when caught early, colon cancer is 95 percent curable. This is why colonoscopy or other screening is so important. To catch the disease while it’s early and curable.

10- Surgery for colon cancer is major and will result in a colostomy bag. This is false. While this may have been true years ago, today most patients can undergo minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopic surgery that requires only a small incision. In addition, colostomy is rarely done nowadays.

If you are over 50 (or over 40 with risk factors), you should screen for colon cancer. Colonoscopy is the most accurate and best way for this to be done. The procedure is not nearly as bad as you may think, and it just may save your life. Call today to schedule an appointment.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ed Zimney, MD

Ed is a physician with more than 30 years of experience. He’s held positions in drug advertising review, drug safety surveillance, medical information and marketing with several bio/pharmaceutical companies.